IPEX calls for grants for the trade mission to Colombia and the Dominican Republic

The Castilla-La Mancha Foreign Promotion Institute (IPEX) has announced grants for the grouped participation of companies from Castilla-La Mancha in the direct trade mission to Colombia and the Dominican Republic, which will take place from March 8 to 12, 2027, in Bogotá and Santo Domingo. The call is published in the Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha number 204, dated October 23, 2026, via the Resolution of 10/19/2026 of IPEX (official reference 2026/7612). The application period will remain open until December 17, 2026.

The call is supported by Order 152/2022, of July 29, of the Regional Ministry of Economy, Business and Employment, which establishes the regulatory bases for aid for grouped participation in IPEX internationalization actions, published in DOCM number 150, of August 5, 2022. The abstract appears in the National Grants Database with the identifier BDNS 936136, in accordance with articles 17.3.b and 20.8.a of the Law 38/2003, of November 17, General Law on Subsidies. The resolution is signed by the director of IPEX, Paloma Sánchez Garrido.

The action is aimed at consumer goods, services, and contract companies that carry out their economic activity in Castilla-La Mancha, with the objective of entering or improving their positioning in both markets. Natural persons registered in the RETA (Special Regime for Self-Employed Workers), clusters, cooperatives, communities of assets, and for-profit business groupings, as well as management bodies for protected geographical indications and designations of origin, may also be beneficiaries; foundations and public entities are excluded.

Seven spots and 3,208 euros per company

The maximum number of beneficiaries is seven companies. The aid covers two concepts at 80% of the eligible cost:

• Meeting agenda consultancy: maximum cost of 2,210 euros, with 1,768 euros in aid from IPEX.
• Travel for one person: maximum cost of 1,800 euros, with 1,440 euros in aid.
• Total: 4,010 euros in eligible costs and 3,208 euros in grants per company.

The credit allocated to the call amounts to 22,456 euros, charged to the 2027 IPEX budget, program 751B, item 47573, PEP OOAA/2000000213. As this is an advance processing, the aid is subject to the existence of adequate and sufficient credit in 2027 and may be increased by up to an additional 40% if the available credit increases. The grants are de minimis in nature according to Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, with a limit of 300,000 euros per company over three years.

Evaluation criteria and reserve for depopulated areas

The award is processed through competitive bidding, with a maximum of 100 points:

• Export department: 15 points if external and 30 if internal.
• Website in several languages: 15 points for Spanish and English; 30 for other additional languages.
• Previous editions of the action: 30 points if never participated, 20 for one to three, and 10 for more than three.
• Activity in priority areas of Law 5/2017, of November 30, delimited by Decree 52/2018: 10 points.

Additionally, 30% of the credit is reserved for applicants who carry out their activity in sparsely populated areas or areas at risk of depopulation. The instructing body is the administration department of IPEX and the assessment corresponds to a technical commission of two technicians from the promotion department; the maximum period for resolution is three months, with negative administrative silence.

Deadline until December 17 and meeting agenda

Applications are submitted electronically with an electronic signature through the Annex I form, available on the electronic office of the Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha. The justification must be submitted within one month from the completion of the action, using Annex II. An administrative appeal may be filed against the resolution before the Ministry of Economy, Business and Employment.

The meeting agendas will be prepared by an internationalization consultancy based in both countries. The meetings will be held in Bogotá on March 8 and 9 and in Santo Domingo on the 10th, 11th, and 12th, with travel between both cities on the morning of March 10; the final agenda will be delivered no later than March 4. Each company will assume the accommodation and travel costs of its representative, with an estimated cost of 2,000 euros, compared to 2,500 euros for the consultancy.

IPEX justifies the call based on the dynamism of both markets: Colombia’s GDP grew by 2.6% in 2025 and Bogotá by 3.5%, while the World Bank forecasts a recovery for the Dominican Republic in 2026 supported by investment, tourism, and construction. For exporting SMEs in the region, the mission provides direct access to distributors, agents, and commercial partners in two markets with strong hotel, equipment, and specialized services activity.

Source: Official Gazette of Castilla-La Mancha, no. 204, October 23, 2026, section III (Other provisions and acts), page 37494 (official reference: 2026/7612).